Sonja Sherfy Griffith has resigned as district executive minister of the Church of the Brethren’s Western Plains District, effective March 31. She has been district executive for 11 years, starting in the half-time position on Jan. 1, 2010. She has served as a bi-vocational minister, carrying out duties as pastor of First Central Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Kan., a position she has held for the past 23 years.
During her years as a member of the Council of District Executives she served on the Gifts Discernment and Ministry Issues Committees. In addition to previous roles on the district level, she also was active on the Cross-Cultural Ministries Team of the denomination and was awarded the Revelation 7:9 Diversity Award in 2011 recognizing her as one of those who helped found the Intercultural Consultation. She was host pastor of the first consultation, held in 1999. She served on the Annual Conference study committee that prepared the 2018 Statement on Vitality and Viability and on the committee that prepared the 1972 Resolution on Abortion.
Prior to her career in ministry, she worked as a public health nurse and college nursing faculty member for more than 30 years. In that field she founded a home health aide program in Florida and worked as a home health aide director in Winchester, Mass.
She holds degrees from McPherson (Kan.) College, University of Kansas School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, and St. Paul School of Theology, and completed the Training in Ministry program of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.
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